GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — King University scored on its only two shot attempts of the match and took a 2-0 victory over Tusculum University on Saturday afternoon in men’s soccer at Pioneer Field on Saturday.
Ricky Sexton assisted on a goal by Pedro Herrera in the sixth minute and scored in the 25th minute for the Tornado (1-1-0), who were outshot 12-2 by the Pioneers (0-1-0). Tusculum hit the post twice and had a shot cleared off the line by the King defense, which received five saves from Gauthier Lumale in the victory.
Herrera scored in the sixth minute as he headed in a cross from Sexton past Tusculum keeper Sondre Liahagan Kolnes.
Tusculum would have a flurry of chances in a five-minute span, with a shot off the post from Clarenns Sainrimat and shots from Bertram Josefsen and Mason Clark stopped by Lumale. In the 17th minute, a chance from Gui Busato was knocked away by King defender Kirk Rahill.
King would stretch its lead to 2-0 at 24:07 as a through pass from Anderson Moore was collected by Sexton, who slipped a shot past Kolnes to the far side of the goal.
Tusculum outshot King 9-2 in the first half and 3-0 in the second half, with Lumale making saves on Gio Carneiro in the 53rd minute and on Felix Triftshauser in the 72nd minute. The Pioneers put a second shot off the post in the 56th minute as Clark redirected a corner kick off the woodwork.
The Pioneers had a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks over the Tornado, while Tusculum was called for 16 fouls to 11 by King. The Tornado were flagged six times for offsides while the Pioneers were caught twice.
Kolnes played 63 minutes before giving way to Noe Delmotte, who was tested nearly immediately on a service to the goal but officially did not face a shot attempt.
The Pioneers return to play on Saturday, Sept. 14 in the South Atlantic Conference opener at Wingate, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
